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yermak might just stay as the shadow puppeteer.....

 

Andriy Yermak’s exit as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s all-powerful chief of staff is a tectonic shift for Ukraine that sets the stage for a fierce battle over how the country is governed.

Nicknamed the “green cardinal” for wearing the military-inspired outfits his boss popularized, Yermak — a once little-known lawyer and B-movie producer — rose to wield immense influence as Zelenskyy’s top aide and was seen by many as virtually a co-president.

 

Why Andriy Yermak’s ouster is a political earthquake for Ukraine
The top aide’s firing will fuel opposition calls for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to bring in a national unity government in Kyiv.

 

Opposition politicians will use his firing over a $100 million corruption scandal to press home their demand for a national unity government in Kyiv, something they’ve urged ever since Russia launched its full-scale invasion nearly four years ago, and Yermak’s exit will embolden those factions.

And there can be little doubt that Zelenskyy will miss the steely former attorney. Many Ukrainian commentators cast Yermak as the producer in the ruling duopoly — with the former TV comic-turned-president in the lead role. 

Now Zelenskyy will be without his producer as he prepares for fraught negotiations with the U.S. over President Donald Trump’s divisive “peace plan” to end Russia’s war on Ukraine, as winter sets in and Kremlin forces try to push their advantage on the grim battlefields of the Donbas.  

That said, Yermak won’t be widely mourned. His monopolization of power had drawn increasing criticism and frustration, both inside Ukraine and from Western allies. 

Hardly surprisingly, Ukrainian opposition politicians and former officials who had tussled with Yermak welcomed the news of his exit, saying they hoped it would mark a major change in how Zelenskyy rules and a shift away from his tightly controlled style of governing.

“I didn’t believe it was possible that he would ever go,” said one former senior Ukrainian official, who asked not to be identified so as “not to be seen as dancing on Yermak’s grave.”

Critics of Yermak had also pointed to Zelenskyy’s ultimately aborted moves in the summer to curb the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies — a step that initially exacerbated fears the government was tightening its grip over institutions meant to check presidential power.

For opposition lawmaker Lesia Vasylenko, Yermak’s departure “shows that there’s zero tolerance for corruption and the president listens to the concerns of the people.” Others said his exit comes as a breath of fresh air. 

But some opposition lawmakers questioned whether Zelenskyy will seize the moment to pursue more inclusive politics.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze told POLITICO she remains unsure if the drama will change the way Zelenskyy governs. “Exactly that is the question. The way of governing has to go back to the constitution. Parliament has to regain its agency,” she said. 

“That means the president has to agree to talk to all factions, we have to review the relationship in the parliament and form a real government of national unity, which will be accountable to the parliament, not the presidential office,” she added. 

Iuliia Mendel, a Ukrainian journalist and former Zelenskyy adviser-turned-critic, told POLITICO that Yermak’s resignation was “a desperate reaction to unbearable pressure.” 

“Zelenskyy has no real replacement ready because he never thought things would go this far. But the heat got so intense that it boiled down to the simplest choice: him or Yermak. And Zelenskyy picked himself,” she added.

But Mendel harbors some doubt that things will really change much. “Yermak might just stay the shadow puppeteer,” she warned. 

https://www.politico.eu/article/andriy-yermaks-ukraine-politics-volodymyr-zelenskyy-scandal-kyiv-russia/

 

 

YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

SEE ALSO:

the united states officially support nazism.........

 

quarrel....

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, has resigned following an anti-corruption raid on his home.

Yermak, a towering figure with enormous political influence, has been Zelensky's closest adviser throughout Russia's full-scale war, but has come under increasing pressure over an escalating scandal - even though he is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Zelensky had recently appointed him to head crucial negotiations, with US President Donald Trump leading a new drive to end the Russia-Ukraine war.

In a stark address to the nation outside his presidential office, Zelensky called for unity, warning: "We risk losing everything: ourselves, Ukraine, our future."

 

The corruption scandal has rocked Ukraine for weeks, weakening Zelensky's own position and jeopardising the country's negotiating position with the US at a delicate time.

Ukraine, backed by its European allies, has sought to change the terms of a US-led draft peace plan originally seen as heavily slanted towards Russia.

Early on Friday Ukraine's two anti-corruption agencies raided Yermak's apartment in Kyiv's government quarters and the chief of staff said on social media that "from my side there is full co-operation".

"I'm grateful to Andriy that Ukraine's position on the negotiating track was always presented as required: it was always a patriotic position," Ukraine's president said during his video address in Kyiv.

Zelensky said he would start consultations on Saturday on who would replace Yermak as his top adviser: "When all the attention is focused on diplomacy and the defence in a war, inner strength is required."

"Russia wants Ukraine to make mistakes – there won't be any mistakes from our side. Our work continues, our fight continues. We have no right... to retreat, to quarrel [among ourselves]."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckg9nd2wddno

 

THE MASTER SHAKESPEAREAN STAGE ACTOR, VOLODYMYRR ZELENSKYYY, COACHED BY MI6, PLAYS HAMLET WHO KILLED HIS DADDY.... AND HAMLET SEARCHES FOR MORALITY ON THE HIGH GROUND OF HIS OWN POOP PLOP... THE INEVITABLE IS BECOMING MORE INEVITABLE....

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

 

saving his own skin....

 

Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky ousted his chief of staff amid a corruption probe to cover his own tracks, a senior Russian diplomat told RT.

Andrey Yermak, described by the media as Ukraine’s grey cardinal, tendered his resignation just hours after anti-corruption agencies raided his properties on Friday.

Although Yermak has not been charged with a crime, two government ministers resigned earlier this month in the wake of a bombshell $100 million kickback scandal implicating another of Zelensky’s close associates, businessman Timur Mindich.

Zelensky is “well aware that the corruption trail leads to him, despite efforts to portray him as unaware of the crimes,” Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik told RT. He argued that the scandal could lead to new charges and “would undermine Zelensky’s ability to remain in power.”

“It was an attempt to buy more time, especially amid negotiations for additional funds with Ukraine’s so-called European partners,” Miroshnik said. As Yermak “has become too toxic,” Zelensky is focused on “staying in power and preserving a regime rife with corruption,” he added.

The EU has been pressuring Ukraine to redouble efforts to fight corruption after eight people were charged with embezzlement in the energy sector, which is heavily reliant on Western aid. Mindich, described by prosecutors as the ringleader, has fled the country to evade arrest. Some opposition politicians allege that Yermak and other top officials from Zelensky’s team were also involved.

European Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath told Politico Europe on Friday that the bloc expects Ukraine to punish those responsible. “There has to be, in every candidate country, a robust system for dealing with alleged high-level corruption cases,” he said.

https://www.rt.com/russia/628651-zelensky-fired-yermank-cover/

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

corrupt....

Claims Surface Linking Zelensky to Offshore Funds Amid Peace Negotiation Tensions
Allegations of Corruption: Ukrainian President Zelensky Embezzles Billion Dollars

BY Angela Antonova



According to Ukrainian blogger Anatoly Shariy, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) has obtained information suggesting that President Volodymyr Zelensky earned approximately one billion dollars through corrupt schemes. Shariy shared the claim on his Telegram channel, stating that U.S. sources provided the information to NABU regarding Zelensky's alleged offshore funds.

 

Shariy noted that the details might be made public if Zelensky does not demonstrate genuine willingness to engage with the peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Pressure and Delays in Peace Negotiations

The blogger added that European leaders advised Zelensky to delay the peace process and postpone presidential elections, aiming to stretch the negotiations until U.S. interest in the conflict diminishes. This suggestion, if followed, could significantly influence Ukraine's diplomatic and internal political landscape.

Trump Comments on Zelensky's Response to Peace Plan

Previously, President Trump mentioned that Zelensky had not yet reviewed the peace plan offered by Washington. The American leader expressed mild disappointment with Zelensky's response, emphasizing the importance of engaging with proposed measures to resolve the conflict.

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https://english.pravda.ru/news/world/165154-zelensky-corruption-claims/

 

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.

not gone?.....

 

Ukraine's 'President No. 2' spotted at Zelensky's Residence
Ukraine’s 'President No. 2' Returns to the Spotlight After Quiet Dismissal

Reports from Ukrainska Pravda indicate that former head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has recently been seen entering the residence of President Volodymyr Zelensky, a development that has reignited discussion about Yermak's role behind the scenes.

 

Renewed Contact After a High-Profile Exit

According to sources cited by the outlet, Volodymyr Zelensky resumed telephone communication with his former chief of staff last week. Several observers claim that Yermak was even spotted at the entrance to the presidential residence, despite his official dismissal at the end of November.

Yermak's departure on November 28 was accompanied by reports of sharp tensions. Earlier accounts described an emotional confrontation following a request for him to submit a resignation letter, underlining how sensitive and politically charged the split had been.

A Figure Known for Exceptional Influence

During his tenure, Andriy Yermak was widely regarded as one of the most powerful figures in Ukraine's political system. Senior officials and political insiders repeatedly referred to him as "the second president,” a nickname reflecting his extensive informal authority and close proximity to the head of state.

"His influence extended far beyond administrative coordination and often shaped key political decisions,” former officials have said when describing Yermak's role.

That reputation has made any sign of renewed contact with the president especially significant, even in the absence of formal announcements.

Speculation and Unanswered Questions

Neither the presidential office nor Yermak himself has commented publicly on the reports. Analysts note that informal consultations are not uncommon in times of political pressure, but the symbolism of Yermak's appearance near the president's residence has proven impossible to ignore.

For now, the situation remains ambiguous. Yet the episode highlights a broader reality of Ukrainian politics: personal networks and trusted advisers can continue to shape decision-making even after official roles come to an end.

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YOURDEMOCRACY.NET RECORDS HISTORY AS IT SHOULD BE — NOT AS THE WESTERN MEDIA WRONGLY REPORTS IT — SINCE 2005.

 

         Gus Leonisky

         POLITICAL CARTOONIST SINCE 1951.